Antibacterial Activity of Flavonoids Extracted from Seeds of Pongamia pinnata Linn on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Aims: To assess the antibacterial property of seed crude extracts of Pongamia pinnata Linn and isolated flavonoids component from crude extract against Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus obtained from clinical isolates.

Study Design: Observational study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Allied health sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Department of Microbiology in Sri Devaraj Urs Academy Of Higher Education and Research ,Tamaka, Kolar, between February 2014 and march 2015

Methodology: Confirmed clinical isolates for MRSA were collected from Microbiology department to test the efficacy of crude extracts of seeds from Pongamia pinnata L. Methanolic crude extract has been preferably used for isolation of flavonoid content using Dimethyl Sulfoxide [DMSO] and methanol as ideal solvents during extraction process by column chromatography technique. Agar well diffusion method was performed to determine the antibacterial activity of crude seed extracts of Pongamia pinnata and isolated flavonoids by using quercitin as positive control for flavonoids. Vancomycin a glycopeptide powder used as gold standard for comparing bactericidal activity of quercitin, flavonoids and crude extracts of P. pinnata on MRSA.

Results: The highest antibacterial activity (75-89%) was observed in crude extract of Pongamia pinnata in comparison to vancomycin considered as cent percent. Extracted flavonoids showed activity (66-92%) with respect to crude extract and (50-84%) with vancomycin and the activity (71-92%) with respect to quercitin when tested with concentration ranging from 25-400 µg/ml.

Conclusion: This study showed that seed extracts of Pongamia Pinnata L and its phytochemical compound flavonoids showed potential antibacterial activity against MRSA using quercitin and vancomycin.